Ethan Nwaneri wasn’t the only Arsenal youngster who impressed against Manchester United.
The Gunners picked up a solid 2-1 win over Erik ten Hag’s side at Stan Kroenke’s stunning £4 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Nwaneri has received a lot of love from Arsenal fans for his first-half performance and rightly so, but another youngster from the academy – Ayden Heaven – caught the eye as well for a slightly different reason.
He was not as flashy and creative on the ball as Nwaneri, but he showed massive character and personality, and that seems to have blown Arsenal supporters away.
Let us tell you what exactly happened.
Ayden Heaven’s ‘huge comeback’ impresses Arsenal fans
Heaven was given another start by Mikel Arteta when Arsenal took on Manchester United in Los Angeles.
The 17-year-old played against Bournemouth as well and impressed, but he didn’t have the greatest start in the game against the Red Devils.
Jurrien Timber had charged forward, vacating his position in central defence. That opened the door for a ball over the top for Rasmus Hojlund to chase.
The Manchester United forward found himself shoulder-to-shoulder against Heaven, and the Arsenal academy star lost his shape for a split second.
That allowed Hojlund to go through on goal, and he gave United the lead.
There was fear among Arsenal fans that Heaven’s head could drop after his mistake, but the talented teenager did not let it affect him. He made a ‘huge comeback’!
Heaven didn’t put a foot wrong from that point, and Arsenal fans are seriously impressed with the personality he showed against Manchester United.
Heaven isn’t even a defender
People watching Heaven for the first time have been impressed with his performance in the heart of the defence, but many will be surprised to know that he isn’t even a defender.
Yes, the 17-year-old is naturally a midfielder, but he is extremely versatile.
As you know now, he can play as a centre-back, but he has filled in at left-back too for Arsenal’s U21s side. That makes him a dream player for any manager to have.
Heaven is a truly incredible talent, and the character he showed after his mistake will surely have impressed Arteta and the Arsenal coaching staff.
That could lead to more opportunities in the coming years.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
